{"id":33554,"date":"2026-02-08T00:49:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T08:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/?p=33554"},"modified":"2026-02-08T00:49:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T08:49:23","slug":"makemkv-review-1428","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/makemkv-review-1428.html","title":{"rendered":"MakeMKV Review (2026): Pros, Cons,  Features","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"anchor-list-point\">\n<p><strong>Summary<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul-inside pl40\">\n<p>MakeMKV is free to rip movies from DVDs and  Blu-rays. If you want to learn more from it, read this post with a detailed  review and get the best alternative to it.<\/p>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"anchor-list-1\">\n<p>Outline<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#part1\">MakeMKV Overview &#8211; What is MakeMKV<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#part2\">Key Features of MakeMKV<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#part3\">Pros &#038; Cons of MakeMKV<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#part4\">How to Use MakeMKV<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#part5\">MakeMKV Best Alternative<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you have been searching for MakeMKV&#8217;s review, you probably know  that it is an old faithful tool of disc ripping. But honestly, does classic  really mean it is really perfect? Although MakeMKV is a rite of passage for  many movie collectors, most people eventually get tired of its big file size  old school interface. I have put this tool to the test once again to see if it  is still the one good to use, or maybe it&#8217;s time to get a new one. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"part1\" class=\"title2\"> MakeMKV Overview &#8211; What is MakeMKV<\/h2>\n<p>MakeMKV is a program that can copy the content from a physical disc  to your computer. It is famous by it&#8217;s one click way to remove the protections  that prevent people from copying the content. Just insert a DVD or Blu-ray, and  it will read the disc and convert it as digital format.<\/p>\n<p>The most important thing is that MakeMKV stores the file as MKV  format, which is lossless. This means the converted file quality is exactly the  same as the original disc. However, because it doesn&#8217;t compress the movie, the  file size is huge. Although it is good to keep high quality, it leaves no other  options, no editing, no shrinking, and no changing the format to work on your  phone. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"part2\" class=\"title2\"> Key Features of MakeMKV<\/h2>\n<p>MakeMKV may appear to be a simple application, but it provides many  useful features. The primary purpose of Make MKV is to convert discs into  digital files much easier for you. The following are the main features of  MakeMKV:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lossless Converting: <\/strong>The lossless  ripping feature lets you convert the raw data from DVD or Blu-ray directly to  your hard drive without losing any quality. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Track Selecting: <\/strong>This feature lets you  select which video track and audio track (and associated subtitle track) you  would like to keep from the disc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bypass Protections:<\/strong> It is possible to  remove common copy protection that is used on most movie discs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chapter Marker Retention: <\/strong>Chapters will  be preserved, allowing you to skip to a specific chapter in your media player.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meta-Data Preservation: <\/strong>When utilizing  MakeMKV, any metadata associated with the disc is retained in the converted  file. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Multi-Platform Compatible: <\/strong>MakeMKV is  available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"part3\" class=\"title2\"> Pros &amp; Cons of MakeMKV<\/h2>\n<p>I have used MakeMKV for a long time, and I respect what it gives;  it&#8217;s definitely not perfect. According to your attention to the hard drive  space, your usage experience is different. Here is my honest breakdown: <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">The Pros:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Good Quality: <\/strong>Since MakeMKV does not  edit the video data, your video seems high quality as you watch it directly  from the discs on the player. I think this is the biggest advantage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Free to Use: <\/strong>Let&#8217;s be real, most people  use MakeMKV because it is free (need to find the beta token to make it active).  It\u2019s hard to argue with a price tag of zero dollars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple Logic:<\/strong> No confusing buttons and  sliders, and no complicated steps. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">The Cons:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Super Big Files: <\/strong>This is a point that I  cannot take. A 4K movie is about 60GB-90GB, which is too big for the drive,  unless you get a massive server. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Compatibility Issues:<\/strong> MakeMKV only  generates MKV format file and if you want to play the MKV on an iPad, iPhone,  or Android device, you probably see problems. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Ancient Interface: <\/strong>The interface of  MakeMKV is too old, like I use a software that was developed in the 90s. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"part4\" class=\"title2\"> How to Use MakeMKV<\/h2>\n<p>If you are new to this tool, don&#8217;t worry, it&#8217;s easy to use, even  though the interface seems outdated. Here is the step-by-step guide. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: <\/strong>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makemkv.com\/download\/\"target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.makemkv.com\/download\/<\/a> to download and install the latest version. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2: <\/strong>Insert your disc into your drive  and open MakeMKV. Wait for MakeMKV to load your disc, or you can directly click  on File to manually load your disc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: <\/strong>The software will show you  related information in a list. Just choose the title from the list that you  want to rip. You can also select the audio tracks and subtitles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong> In the right panel, choose the folder  as the output directory to store your ripped file. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5: <\/strong>Click on the Make MKV icon to  start.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tc2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/makemkv-interface.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/makemkv-interface.jpg\" alt=\"makemkv-interface\" width=\"650\" height=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-136102 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 786px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 786\/743;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"part5\" class=\"title2\"> MakeMKV Best Alternative<\/h2>\n<p>While MakeMKV is a good start, some users may find it a bit old  school. If you are the same or having trouble with the huge file size, I think  you may try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/blu-ray-ripper\/?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_leawo_blu_ray_ripper&#038;utm_campaign=1428\"title=\"Leawo Blu-ray Ripper\" target=\"_blank\">Leawo Blu-ray Ripper<\/a>. It is widely recognized  as one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/best-blu-ray-rippers-1428.html?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_best_blu_ray_ripper&#038;utm_campaign=1428\"title=\"best Blu-ray rippers\" target=\"_blank\">best Blu-ray rippers<\/a> because it actually lets  you choose how you want to save your movies. You can rip and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/how-to-rip-and-convert-blu-ray-to-mp4-on-windows-mac-1428.html?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_rip_blu_ray_to_mp4&#038;utm_campaign=1428\"title=\"convert Blu-ray to MP4\" target=\"_blank\">convert Blu-ray to MP4<\/a> if you want to save  space on your phone, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/how-to-rip-blu-ray-to-mkv-on-windows-and-mac-losslessly-1428.html?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_rip_blu_ray_to_mkv&#038;utm_campaign=1428\"title=\"rip Blu-ray to MKV\" target=\"_blank\">rip Blu-ray to MKV<\/a> if you want to keep every  bit of the original quality. It\u2019s much more flexible for most people\u2019s needs  today.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"rec\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.org\/images\/products\/win\/blu-ray-ripper.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Leawo Blu-ray Ripper\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.org\/images\/products\/win\/blu-ray-ripper.jpg\" alt=\"Leawo Blu-ray Ripper\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"left\"><a style=\"font-size: 20px;\" title=\"Leawo Blu-ray Ripper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/blu-ray-ripper\/?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_leawo_blu_ray_ripper&#038;utm_campaign=1428\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Leawo Blu-ray Ripper<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Comprehensive Blu-ray ripping and converting software to decrypt, rip and convert Blu-ray\/DVD disc, folder and ISO image file. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul-inside\">\n<li>Remove multiple Blu-ray\/DVD disc protections and region restrictions.<\/li>\n<li>Convert Blu-ray\/DVD to video\/audio in 180+ different formats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><a class=\"rec-dl-win\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/downloads\/blu-ray-ripper.html?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_leawo_blu_ray_ripper&#038;utm_campaign=1428\">Download<\/a><a class=\"rec-dl-mac\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/downloads\/blu-ray-ripper-mac.html?utm_source=leawo.com&#038;utm_medium=260208_leawo_blu_ray_ripper&#038;utm_campaign=1428\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">Why Leawo is the Better Choice<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Massive Format Support: <\/strong>Leawo supports  180+ formats for you to choose, including MP4, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP3, FLAC, etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Save Huge Amounts of Space:<\/strong> Leawo&#8217;s new  technology can shrink the huge file size into a high-quality, smaller MP4 to  save your space.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Built-in Video Editor: <\/strong>You can edit the  content, like trim long intros, crop black bars, or even add watermarks to your  videos before ripping. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Advanced Decryption: <\/strong>Leawo easily  bypasses the complicated protections like AACS, BD+, and the latest MKB  protections, and the support keeps updating.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3D Movie Creator: <\/strong>This is a unique  feature that MakeMKV doesn&#8217;t have. You can turn a 2D disc into 3D with 6  different effects, for your VR or 3D TV.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">How to Use Leawo Blu-ray Ripper<\/h3>\n<p>From my perspective, the interface of Leawo is much clearer than  MakeMKV, and use is also as simple. You can follow the steps below to start  using Leawo Blu-ray Ripper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: <\/strong>Insert your disc and open Leawo.  Click UHD\/Blu-ray\/DVD &gt; Add from CD-ROM to load your disc.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tc2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/import-source-dvd-leawo.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/import-source-dvd-leawo.jpg\" alt=\"import-source-dvd-leawo\" width=\"650\" height=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-136102 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1367px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1367\/908;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Step 2: <\/strong>The disc information will show  on the screen and you can choose the angel, chapter, etc. Click on the file  icon next to the title, you can choose subtitles, audio tracks, etc. <\/p>\n<div class=\"tc2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-audio-track-leawo-1.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-audio-track-leawo-1.jpg\" alt=\"set-audio-track-leawo\" width=\"650\" height=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-136102 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1367px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1367\/908;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Step 3: <\/strong>Back to the main screen, click  on the Output Profile tab to enter Profile section. In the format, choose the  output format that you need.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tc2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-output-format-leawo.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-output-format-leawo.jpg\" alt=\"set-output-format-leawo\" width=\"650\" height=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-136102 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1367px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1367\/908;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Step 4: <\/strong>Back to the last page and then  click on the Convert button. In Save to section, choose a folder as the output  directory. Click the white Convert button to begin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tc2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-output-directory-leawo-1.jpg\" class=\"highslide\" rel=\"highslide\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/set-output-directory-leawo-1.jpg\" alt=\"set-output-directory-leawo\" width=\"650\" height=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-136102 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1367px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1367\/908;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"FAQs\" class=\"title2\">FAQs<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">1. Why does MakeMKV fail to open the disc?<\/h3>\n<p>This is normally due to two main reasons: the disc is physically  dirty\/scratched, or it has a new type of copy protection that the software is  not yet aware of. MakeMKV is not frequently updated, so it may not be able to  cope with the new copy protection on the latest Blu-ray discs.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">2. What is the MakeMKV token?<\/h3>\n<p>The &quot;token&quot; (also known as the beta key) is a code  necessary for the free use of the software&#8217;s Blu-ray capabilities, which are  currently in the long-term beta phase. Every month, you must go to the official  forum and find the new updated code, as the program locks you out if you don&#8217;t,  until you can find a new one.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"title6\">3. Is ripping a disc illegal?<\/h3>\n<p>If you rip your disc for personal use, like watching movie on the  tablet or phone, it is considered fair use. But if you sell or share the  digital copy, it is illegal. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Conclusion\" class=\"title2\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>If you just want to find a free way to back up your discs and don&#8217;t  mind the constant beta keys, MakeMKV is a good choice. But honestly, you get  what you pay for. I prefer Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, although it is paid software.  Because it saves me time to deal with the space, and gives me freedom to choose  whatever formats I like. For me, the convenience and modern features are worth  every penny compared to the headaches of using an old-school free tool. Leawo  offers a free trial, and if you are interested, I think you can give it a try. <\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: MakeMKV is free to rip movies from DVDs and Blu-rays. If you want to learn more from it, read this post with a detailed review and get the best alternative to it. Outline MakeMKV Overview &#8211; What is MakeMKV &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/makemkv-review-1428.html\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":20,"featured_media":33557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-33554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvd-bluray-tips","tag-blu-ray-ripper"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":669,"excerpt_185":"Summary: MakeMKV is free to rip movies from DVDs and Blu-rays. If you want to learn more from it, read this post with a detailed review and get the best...","formatted_date":"08\/02\/2026","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33554"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33563,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554\/revisions\/33563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leawo.com\/knowledge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}